Route Development & Rumours

[SierraHotel]

I suppose FR do offer some variety in the guise of Buzz, Malta Air and Lauda.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

Obviously it would be excellent if those possible new destinations come off, but wouldn’t it be great if they all were not Ryanair. Would love to see some variety at LBA (speaking as regular photographer at LBA).

It would make sense from a business perspective to spread the risk. Im hoping for more from EZY.

 

[YorkshireLad]

Problem is only a few aircraft are painted in said liveries, and we don’t get a lot of Lauda. I hope next couple of years will provide some more variety

 

[LBAYORKIE]

I suppose FR do offer some variety in the guise of Buzz, Malta Air and Lauda.

And speaking of which how good would it be if Ryanair added Malta to their schedule.

 

[HX3]

I would love a route from LBA to Norway, it would be lovely to fly back home from my new home. Oslo would also prove useful for Norwegian Leeds United fans.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

I would love a route from LBA to Norway, it would be lovely to fly back home from my new home. Oslo would also prove useful for Norwegian Leeds United fans.

It would be good for fans but I doubt there are sufficient volumes to be viable. Maybe a bit expensive for tourists and stag 'do's' as well.

 

[White Heather]

It would be good for fans but I doubt there are sufficient volumes to be viable. Maybe a bit expensive for tourists and stag 'do's' as well.

Its a shame. I'd love to visit Norway, not just Oslo. The entire coastline looks spectacular. Just a couple of flights weekly would be good.

 

[lbaspotter]

So in terms of weekly slots (one-way) taken from a week in August:

easyJet Europe: 10X Weekly
easyJet UK: 2X Weekly

Trying to work out why Easyjet EU need 10x weekly slot pairs for in August.

Palma (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun)
Malaga (Wed & Sun)
Barcelona (Wed & Sat)

Paris Cdg dose not operate in August meaning they only need 8x slot pairs. So I wonder what the other 2x slot pairs are for?

 

[LBAYORKIE]

Trying to work out why Easyjet EU need 10x weekly slot pairs for in August.

Palma (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun)
Malaga (Wed & Sun)
Barcelona (Wed & Sat)

Paris Cdg dose not operate in August meaning they only need 8x slot pairs. So I wonder what the other 2x slot pairs are for?

Split?

 

[lbaspotter]

Split?

Easyjet don't have any bases in Croatia.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

Easyjet don't have any bases in Croatia.

They could presumably do a W from another base? They seem to have quite a few flights to/from Split in summer.

 

[lbaspotter]

They could presumably do a W from another base? They seem to have quite a few flights to/from Split in summer.

I'd say its more likely 1 new route operating 2x weekly, rather than 2 new routes both operating 1x weekly using these 2 slot pairs.

 

[HX3]

@lbaspotter That would tie in with the uplift in seat volumes quoted in the report.

Regarding Norway comments above - it isn’t cheap for food and drinks in the main tourist areas in fact you need a mini mortgage, but outside the core it is ok and not dissimilar to here and there is also dagens rett (today’s dish) similar concept to menu del dia in Spain. Hotel accomodation and excursions/experiences are generally top end of reasonable. So it wouldn’t attract budget conscious travellers, but those who go on lakes and mountains holidays, or more expensive city breaks would find Oslo prices ok-ish.

 

[lbaspotter]

Just had another detailed look on the slot report, Whatever the new Easyjet route is its operating 2x weekly Mondays & Fridays all summer 2026 season.

Now lets start to guess where it might be to, Alicante, Amsterdam or Faro?

 

[Finger66]

My money is on FAO as:
AMS is slot constrained (however might be why KLM have dropped back to 3.
ALC is very well served by both LS and FR.
Not saying FAO isn't lacking capacity already but if someone said to me you had to fly on holiday to one of those 3 then FAO wins it by an absolute mile (sorry @LBA4EVER as I know you have an ALC bias for very good reasons)

 

[BCFC]

My money is on FAO as:
AMS is slot constrained (however might be why KLM have dropped back to 3.
ALC is very well served by both LS and FR.
Not saying FAO isn't lacking capacity already but if someone said to me you had to fly on holiday to one of those 3 then FAO wins it by an absolute mile (sorry @LBA4EVER as I know you have an ALC bias for very good reasons)

Would love another option for FAO….keeps those prices down but I’m not sure the demand is there from LBA with Jet2 and Ryanair already covering it.

 

[White Heather]

Would love another option for FAO….keeps those prices down but I’m not sure the demand is there from LBA with Jet2 and Ryanair already covering it.

If it turned out that it was FAO, then you can bet that Easyjet and LBA have data showing there is the demand despite Jet2 and Ryanair. Its guaranteed that there will be plenty of Yorkshire folk using Easyjet FAO flights out of MAN who could fly out of LBA instead .

That said, I'd expect ALC to be next on their hit list

 

[Finger66]

@White Heather you are probably right. Sentiment aside easyJet are in some ways, but also in different ways, like Jet2. By that they know how to seize a sensible opportunity. Jet2 are more prepared to open up new routes whereas easyJet tend to go for the established ones, whether underserved or not. We really should be embracing any U2 expansion though as sentiment over a base does again need to be separated from logic (or business acumen)

 

[oldendays]

Southampton. Before Loganair gets it.

 

[lbaspotter]

The is a very interesting article in the Yorkshire post regards DSA using taxpayers funding to entice airlines from rival airport as Leeds/Bradford's CEO Vincent Hodder issues warning.

Leeds Bradford CEO issues warning to Doncaster Sheffield Airport over taxpayer funds

If Doncaster Sheffield Airport uses taxpayer money to entice airlines from rivals there will be “a real problem”, the chief executive of Leeds Bradford has warned.

www.yorkshirepost.co.uk

Its behind a paywall so see below.

Spoiler: LBA issues warning to DSA

Doncaster Sheffield Airport: warning issued over use of taxpayer funding by Leeds Bradford CEO​

If Doncaster Sheffield Airport uses taxpayer money to entice airlines from rivals there will be “a real problem”, the chief executive of Leeds Bradford has warned. The reopening of DSA, which closed in 2022, is set to cost £193m of public money, with local leaders hopeful that commercial flights will take off again in 2028.

Doncaster Mayor Ros Jones has said this will bring 5,000 new jobs to the area by 2050, while South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard said it was the “number one thing I can do to bring growth” to the region. Mr Coppard said there have been “positive conversations” with Tui and Wizz Air - who previously ran flights out of the airport. Munich Airport International is set to operate DSA, and insiders believe it will be cheaper for airlines than under previous owners Peel Group.

However, questions remain how the publicly-funded airport - run through the council’s arms-length company Fly Doncaster - will be able to attract commercial airlines. Now, LBA has indicated it may consider some form of legal action, should DSA use taxpayer money to entice airlines to use the airport.

Vincent Hodder, chief executive of LBA, told The Yorkshire Post: “We’ve operated alongside privately owned and operated DSA for 20 years. We don’t see this as an issue. “However, we stand against the use of public money to intervene in a competitive market. “As long as DSA is investing in infrastructure and operating the business in a competitively stable manner, they can do as they wish and I am supportive of them doing so. “However, if they then take taxpayers’ funds and shareholder’s cash and give it to airlines to encourage them to move aircrafts, that’s when the problem arises. “This then distorts the competitive market, and I would have a real problem with that. Instead, I would encourage them to compete fairly in the market.”

The area’s former MP Nick Fletcher, who has recently published a book called The Revival, said this would be the major hurdle for DSA to overcome. “To get these airlines anywhere near DSA, they are going to have to entice them with money to come and land,” he said. “They cannot use taxpayers’ money for that because Leeds Bradford and East Midlands will take them to court straight away. “The only way around will be to use private investment money.”

However, City of Doncaster Council has just indicated it is not looking for private investors until it gets the airport up and running. A spokesperson said: “We will … be going out to the market again when the time is right and the time is not now because our focus is on securing a certificated and licenced operating airport.” The council has previously told the Government's Subsidy Advice Unit that it believed any “discounts or incentives” offered to airlines would comply with legal rules.

DSA bosses will likely be keeping close attention to a case that will be heard at the UK's Competition Appeal Tribunal in February. Bristol Airport has complained that a £205m subsidy from the Welsh Government to Cardiff Airport has given it an unfair competitive advantage. This case could set an important legal precedent for DSA, as regulations changed in this area of law following Brexit.